[SF6] Sagat Countermeasures Guide [Win Just by Reading]

Neutral (Awareness Priority)

• Handling 236K
  • Standing Block of 236K gives Sagat Advantage
  • Sagat lacks a 2MK cancel that gives big return against walking, so there’s not much risk to walking. Focus on whiff punishing, which naturally makes 236K a standing Block
  • If you can react, pressing Parry makes it a standing Block and gives you your offensive turn
• Handling 6LK
  • If you walk more horizontally to watch for 236K, the long-range Low 6LK becomes easier to land
  • On normal Hit there’s no combo, so don’t be overly afraid
    • Spacing management is more important
  • If you see it often in Neutral, place neutral jumps to get return against Tiger Knee Crush
• Place neutral jumps
  • Against an opponent with many options like 236K / 6LK and normals, place neutral jumps
  • Sagat has 6HK which can punish neutral jumps, but making him split his attention there makes other options easier to land
• Backstep occasionally
  • You give up screen position, but there’s no 6HK anti-air risk, making it safe
  • Backstep only loses to projectiles, so you can aim for return at no risk
• Block → Fuzzy standing Block
  • When Sagat cancels normals into 236K, maintain Block → standing Block awareness during his strings
  • Parry instead of Block is also very effective. Parry counts as standing Block so you may get a Punish, and if you’re lucky you get a Just Parry with return
• Properly take your Punishes
  • Sagat often drops target combo confirms. Consistently taking damage here is important
  • 2MP→HP
    • Tiger Slash can be cancelled even on full commit, making it hard to Punish
    • There’s an 8F gap between 2MP and the Tiger Slash followup
      • Ideally, press an 8F or faster move every time you see 2MP
      • If you can press a normal with strong upward hitbox after 2MP→236K cancel, even better
  • MK→HK
    • The MK→HK followup is a mash punish, so don’t press buttons when you see MK
    • After Blocking the full string, aim for a Punish with an 8F or faster move for maximum return
  • HP→HK
    • When you see HP, focus on the HP→HK Punish
    • After Block it’s -12F, so aim for maximum return starting with a heavy attack

Recommended Counter

Recommended Counter

• 236LP counter
  • If low fireballs are common in Neutral, jumping forward has high expected value
• 236MP or 236HP
  • Don’t press Parry; focus on crouching to avoid them
  • Overusing Parry puts you at a Drive Gauge Disadvantage
  • 2HK on reaction to seeing the fireball is easy to land, so aim for it
• 236MPHP counter
  • Often used in corner pressure
  • Understand that close-range Block gives Sagat Advantage

236MP or 236HP can be punished with a crouching normal. You can’t react to determine if it’s 236LP and then press an attack in time. Therefore, pressing 2HK at the Fuzzy timing of Blocking 236LP is effective.

The following video has the following recorded:

• 236LP
• 236HP

Recommended Counter

• Neutral
  • After Blocking any normal other than 2LP, input standing Block
    • Sagat without 2MK Rush has no Low combo from a single Block other than 2LP
    • Reacting to 236K with standing Block every time is exhausting, so after one Block, walk back
      • Of course, if you can react, press Parry

(No longer possible due to the update making 2MK Hit 5F)

• On standing Block (not deep)
  • If the screen shakes, Sagat has Advantage
  • If it doesn’t shake, the frame difference is 0F or better for you, so mash with a 4F move or throw

• On standing Block (deep)
  • When Blocked deep while standing, it’s 5F or more Punish

• On Hit
  • 236LK: Taking Quick Rise makes walk Shimmy impossible when Rush is used

Recommended Counter

• If you read 214K→6LK
  • Full Block and apply your -5F Punish
• If you read Tiger Greed or 214K→6HK
  • Mash with 4F fastest after Blocking 214K
• If your character has a 5F invincible move
  • Remember that moves like Luke’s SA2 or Ryu’s SA3 with 5F Startup invincibility are guaranteed
• Fuzzy Parry
  • Regardless of 214K strength, 214K→6LK and 214K→6HK have a 6F difference in Startup
  • Therefore, by delaying Parry 5~6F from the timing you’d standing Block 214K→6LK, you can apply risk to both of these
  • You must do this in standing Block – if you miss the Parry while crouching, 214K→6HK won’t be Blocked

The following video has the following recorded:

• 214K→6LK
  • 15F Startup
  • Always press 5F after Blocking
• 214K→6HK
  • 21F Startup
  • Aim for Parry at this timing. Since 214K→6LK is already punishable on Block, there’s no point aiming for Just Parry

Recommended Counter

Midscreen

• On Block (midscreen)
  • Unless it’s Rush→MP, walking back lets you end the offense at low risk

• On Block (corner)
  • After Blocking MP, mashing with 4F results in a trade combo

• On Block: characters with 4F standing normals
  • Fastest mash after Blocking standing MP pushes you out and prevents the 2MP trade combo
  • If it’s not active frame, 4F mash is best against MP

• On Block: characters without 4F standing normals
  • Play the mixup between Just Parry and not pressing anything

Recommended Counter

• Backstep can apply risk to 6HK / 6LK / 236K simultaneously

Recommended Counter

• Invincible moves
  • Everything except cancel Rush→2LP has a frame gap where invincible cannot be Blocked
  • If no followup, it’s -12F so the return is low, but you can safely reverse the situation
  • If you’re confident in the input, aim for SA reversal
• If you see 2MP, mash with a 6F or faster move before the followup
  • 214MK mash punish exists, but keep it as an option
• Show Impact when Tiger Slash comes out
  • Loses to OD Tiger Shot and cancel Rush followups, but it’s important to use Impact based on gauge situation
• When you see 2MP, focus on standing Block
  • Tiger Knee Shot may come, so always go to standing Block
  • You might get hit by cancel Rush→Low, but the super flash gives you time so do your best to Block
• Fuzzy Parry
  • For those who want to minimize risk
  • Fuzzy Parry at the timing of the opponent’s followup

Recommended Counter

Don’t mash when you see MK. The gap between MK→HK is a mash punish.

After Block, Sagat is -8F, so Punish with a long-range medium attack.

Recommended Counter

Recommended Counter

Recommended Counter